MLB 2011

[WayAbvPar]

We get enough of those fuckheads when the Red Sox come to town. The bandwagon station is filled to the brim in these parts. Seattle sports fans are terrible.

[Paelos]

Are you going to punch someone in the neck? 

Ha, no I don't think it's racist to make a race of people a mascot. 

GO BRAVES! <starts the tomahawk chop>

[ghost]

Elijah Dukes is a real piece of work. 

He's absolutely fucking nuts. 

Former major league outfielder Elijah Dukes was being held in a Florida jail on Thursday after his pregnant ex-girlfriend accused him of slapping her in the face during an argument, authorities said.

[Ingmar]

Baseball season is back.  Pick your team! 

That's hilarious. Also it actually lead me to the team I root for! Bonus!

Me too, sort of! I had to punt at the 'what's in the Thermos' question.

[caladein]

Me too, sort of! I had to punt at the 'what's in the Thermos' question.

Well at that point it's a question of "Are you a girl (or Zach Braff) or are you willing to take a Bonds joke?"  Either way, a Raspberry Appletini does sound intriguing so it works pretty well.

Also, can someone explain to me the Nats/Orioles section?  I don't get it...

Edit: Paelos is now this kid to me, forever:

[Paelos]

Can't stop the chop! 

[Ashamanchill]

It was stopped dead in 92 bitches!

[Sjofn]

I was directed to the Oakland A's! I could see rooting for them.

[Ginaz]

I'd be more optimistic about the Jays this season if they weren't playing in the AL East.  Still, they have a nice young team, esp. their pitching staff, and if they just play as well as they're expected to, they could make a push for a wild card spot.  Could.  They'll probably need either the Red Sox or Yankees to falter, either through injury or poor performance by key players.

[Ingmar]

IMO the wild card will come out of the Central in both leagues.

[Muffled]

Who are you picking from the AL central?  I still can't see the second team from that division beating out the second team from the east...

[Ingmar]

Twins, White Sox, Tigers, 2 out of those three will win the division and wild card, I think. The Yankees are going to faceplant a bit this year because of their rotation problems and their aging lineup, enough to keep them out of contention (they won't drop down so far as to have a losing record I think though) and I have this pegged as an in-between sort of year for the Rays. Red Sox should roll to a fairly easy East win.

Rays could always surprise me, of course, but I think there are 3 good teams in the Central so even if one of them turns out to be a sham that probably just means even more wins for the other 2.

[Sjofn]

Has it started yet? God, even spring training feels like it takes forever. Stupid baseball. 

[caladein]

Two weeks!

[Paelos]

Two weeks!

Man I can barely contain my jackedupedness.

I have tix to the Cards-Braves matchup on Friday and April!

[ghost]

Sounds like Barry Bonds is fucked. 

In hushed tones, Hoskins described Bonds' use of anabolic steroids, and how Bonds and his personal trainer, Greg Anderson, talked openly about it.

"(Bonds) told me (in 1999), 'Find out about this Winstrol steroid and its effect on me,'" said Hoskins, now a salesman for a local software company. "He instructed me to go talk to (Bonds's physician) Dr. Arthur Ting."

[Ingmar]

Don't count on it, there are various reasons that Hoskins is vulnerable to being painted as an unreliable witness with an axe to grind against Barry etc. I still think it is unlikely he ever sees the inside of a cell in any case, even if he is found guilty.

[Paelos]

This is a huge waste of money at this point. He's never getting in the hall of fame. The best that comes out of this is he gets convicted to probation and is taken off the record books so Hank Aaron is referred to as the home run king again.

[Ingmar]

The hall of fame is already nigh-farcical at this point, if they keep Barry, Clemens, etc., out that will just complete the transition to 'total joke'.

[Paelos]

The hall of fame is already nigh-farcical at this point, if they keep Barry, Clemens, etc., out that will just complete the transition to 'total joke'.

Put me in the camp for wanting total joke then. I'd like the last decade taken off the books, but that's asking a lot.

[Ingmar]

It's already full of people who cheated (greenies, Gaylord Perry, etc.) and/or violated the 'character' clause in IMO far worse ways (hi2u Ty Cobb) so making a "stand" on this stuff is pretty seriously hypocritical on the part of the HoF and its voters. But, we've been over this ground before.

[Paelos]

The problem is we both have a stake in our respective members of that home run debate. The bias is large here.

[WayAbvPar]

I have a stake in neither and want Barry Bonds to be harpooned in his giant oversized head, have all memories/records/video of his entire career erased, and then for him to be thrown into prison. Because he cheated, yes, but also because he is a complete and utter cunt. 755 or fight!

[Ingmar]

If being an utter cunt was a disqualification the HoF would have like 8 dudes in it!

[WayAbvPar]

Not all of them smugly cheated their way to multimillions.

[Teleku]

I'm kind of conflicted because while I'm very much against steroid use, even if he had never taken any in his entire life, he still would have been one of the greatest batters to ever play the game.

[ghost]

I'm kind of conflicted because while I'm very much against steroid use, even if he had never taken any in his entire life, he still would have been one of the greatest batters to ever play the game.

Who knows?  It isn't even worth debating really.  He was a badass and he used roids to be that way.  I enjoyed watching him play.  That's about all I can ask for.

[Sjofn]

I'm kind of conflicted because while I'm very much against steroid use, even if he had never taken any in his entire life, he still would have been one of the greatest batters to ever play the game.

That's the part that annoys me about the whole thing. Dude was already really good all on his own, but now it's all tainted and gross.

I have to agree, though, being a huge douchebag alone shouldn't count against someone getting in the HoF, unless we're going to start booting dudes out (hi2u again, Ty Cobb).

[Paelos]

We already keep people out for being douchebags. Hey hey Pete Rose.

[ghost]

You know, amphetamines and cocaine have been around for a long while.  I have a suspicion that some of the players in the past may have been using these drugs to help performance.  Cheating certainly isn't a new thing.  Hell, I wouldn't put it past Babe Ruth or Ty Cobb or Eddie Mercx or any other numbers of high performance athletes of the past.

[WayAbvPar]

Hey a bunch of other people may have done other bad things is an argument I would expect to hear from kindergarteners. If that is the best case for BB then he obviously has no case at all.

[Paelos]

Hey a bunch of other people may have done other bad things is an argument I would expect to hear from kindergarteners. If that is the best case for BB then he obviously has no case at all.

People are always willing to forgive people who aren't giant cockholsters about their mistakes when they actually own up to them. Or, in Barry's case, he can blame it all on his best friend and let him stew in jail for 13 months while he continues to berate the media for coming after him.

I don't care what other people did. I want him removed from baseball existence. I can forgive Pettite, and McGuire, and Canseco.

[ghost]

I for one have no problem with Bonds being in the HOF.  I also don't really give a shit about performance enhancing drugs, either.  If they're willing to shrivel up their junk and significantly shorten their lifespan to give me more entertainment value, so be it. 

[Paelos]

I will fully admit that if I found out Chipper Jones juiced, my baseball love would die with a whimper.

[ghost]

Honestly, why let it get you down?  It's entertainment.  I was gloriously entertained when Sammy Sosa, McGuire and Bonds were swatting balls left and right, and so was the whole country.  Hell, half the league was juicing then so it was at least a level playing field.  A lot of "good guys" do bad stuff in secret.  I was a bit taken aback when Raphy was caught, but it didn't truly surprise me.